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As He came out of the temple, one of His disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ Then Jesus asked Him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’ When He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs. (Mark 13:1-8)
Happy Monday, dear Friend! I trust you and yours enjoyed a blessed weekend! May all of your loved ones be blessed by the time you give to the Lord to spend in reading scripture, praying, and meditating on Him.
I have a dear pastor friend, who when she posts a picture of herself in one of many places she visits, I simply comment, "Tourist." She knows who she is! Let me point out there is nothing wrong with being a tourist. A tourist is one who seeks to experience new things and leaves. They love to point out buildings to those around them, take a picture, share it on social media, then leave. This is exactly what the disciples were doing as they saw the Temple with Jesus. Imagine the selfies they took! "Lord, come over here, get between me and James; we are the 'Sons of Thunder' after all; the name You gave us!" The temple is an amazing structure even in ruins. Last March, Nellie and I, and a wonderful group of pastors stood at the very place where large stones had fallen from the attack that left the temple in ruins. I thought of those disciples and why they were impressed. Solomon did good, as did the ones who rebuilt it and then lost it again. But Jesus calls them out of tourism and into theology. "Fellas, look; this building isn't going to be here forever; the day is coming when not one strong will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down - you will see them and think of the many Legos on your floor after you son or daughter or grandson and granddaughter, have tired of the building they let you spend hours in building only to have them throw it to the ground laughing."
A theologian is one who thinks of God and God's plan or purpose in things all around us. A theologian is wanting to know more so they can do more, explain more, share more. Jesus did not want to scare the 12, He wanted them to be ready for what was next. And what' next for them is what's next for us. People threatening our faith, challenging us to stray, to not believe, to think they or someone they represent have the answers, the solutions; Jesus says think again. Pray again. Study again. Grow again, and keep growing! Jesus spoke of the End Times. He had to, for the 12 wanted to know when the day would be that would mean the end of the temple. Jesus explains that even the signs He shares will not reveal the end; the end will come whether we are prepared or not; Jesus says we should be prepared now.
The news, however you view them, speak of terrible things now. Mass shootings, racism again on the rise, neighbor hating neighbor, greedy corporations seeking more; there's a war now in our nation, not that it is called that, but think about it. Are we acting as we know God? Are we in any way pleasing the Lord? The earthquakes that we are experiencing are moms who don't have the insurance or the money to care for their dying babies; or stand in line to buy food in hopes that they have enough; the earthquake is when they come up short and must walk out with a crying child and praying for a way to explain that to the child whose stomach does not understand "Wait."
Dear friend, you and I have already have a responsibility before God to respond in love to those in need all around us. Our tourist days are over. We are called to think and act like theologians, who know the will and love of God.
PRAYER: Loving Father, equip my heart, spirit, and mind, to be the thinking person who thinks only about You and what You would have me do. I want to care. I want to respond, not react , to the needs all around me and the threats that come against human life, especially among the innocent children. Make me worthy. This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Put on your Theologian cap and your Christian heart in!
Eradio Valverde
